A MOTOR company's plans to expand by building a car recycling centre on Aycliffe Industrial Estate have been approved.

G H Palin and Sons secured planning permission to build a breakers behind its workshop in Carlbury Road, from Durham County Council's planning committee.

The firm will be able to de-pollute unwanted cars by draining oil and fuel and removing tyres and batteries.

Sedgefield Borough Council had objected to the application, fearing a breaker's yard would be a blot on an industrial site.

The site is next to the £3.5m Heart of the Park office and business development, which could attract up to 40 companies and create jobs.

There are three sites in the borough - Chilton Industrial Estate, Furnace Industrial Estate, in Shildon, and Dean and Chapter Industrial Estate, in Ferryhill - which are suitable for material reclamation or scrapyards.

But county councillors approved the application on Wednesday based on its waste local plan.

Bosses at GH Palin and Sons hope the centre will improve the district's appearance by tackling dumped cars and enable the firm to create jobs.

The breaker's area will be at the rear of the site where the firm, which currently sells and tests cars, has been based for about eight years.